Part 7: Total population

Figure 8 shows that only five counties had populations of 250,000 or more in 2004. They are the host counties of Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem. Mecklenburg leads this group, with 771,617, followed by Wake with 719,520 people. Many of the counties in the 100,000 to 250,000 range are suburban to these larger ones, especially along the Piedmont corridor. Others in this size range include those central to the state’s other metro areas. In fact, almost all of the counties with populations of 100,000 or more are in one of the state’s metro areas. In contrast, the less populous counties are concentrated in northeastern North Carolina or along the state’s mountainous western fringe.